With Jerry gone, it’s all about dancing on Stars

I suppose we should all abandon the second most-watched show on TV, now that Jerry’s gone. For weeks he was hailed for diverting but irrelevant “entertainment” value as he hammed up feeble dancing with comic relief and talked a good game with self-effacing charm. But though the TV host best known for mean-spirited shows turned out to be the nicest guy in this competition, he never truly was competing — just biding time. That’s why, at this stage, it was good to see some sense and sanity prevail as Jerry bid farewell while better, truer dancers kept their shot at winning it all.

Of course, “all,” in this case, is no more than a silly disco-ball trophy and momentary cachet. I don’t see Drew Lachey splashed across the pop-culture landscape since winning Stars last year. But who cares? It’s the process that counts, and in this case, the best dancers have made it to the final four, though it’s arguable that Willa, had she rightly lasted longer, might have bested Monique for that final spot.

ABC

Kym Johnson and Jerry Springer cut a rug on Dancing With the Stars.

As it was, poor Monique sweated it out — along with us — as she joined Jerry in the bottom two, knowing full well that sentimental viewer votes might send her packing. But with by far the lowest aggregate judges scores spaced over two weeks and three dances, Jerry was done — and seemed glad of it.

“Thank you for having me — and thank you for letting me go home,” he quipped in a lengthy, generous bye-bye as he grasped the mic and almost seemed to take over Tom’s hosting duties. Tearing up in appreciation of his colleagues, Jerry said it best: “This show, and that floor, belong to people who really can dance.”

Thanks, Jerry. That’s what I’ve been telling people for weeks when they fixated on your cowardly-matador passa dobles and altar-bound-daddy waltzes. Yes, you were fun, you were charming, you were nice, you were entertaining and you outdid last season’s oldster, George Hamilton, in all those departments. But never, ever, were you a legitimate entry in a dance competition with any sense of integrity.

Of course, we’ll see how far that integrity goes, now that Mario, Joey, Emmitt and Monique hoof and huff toward the finish line. But again, the reward lies less in a trophy than in the process, and while Jerry was an enjoyable part of that process, his part is over. Now it’s time to get serious.